Hopscotch: April 2010

After weeks of neglect and junk food, I really feel like I need to eat more vegetables and healthy things. This doesn't mean giving up taste!
Here are a couple of simple, tasty yet healthy recipes.

RISO AI PEPERONI (Rice with Peppers)

This is a dish I discovered when I was a teenager and a vegetarian. I fell in love with it because it was so tasty. I used to revise maths with a classmate of mine after school and her mum used to make this rice dish for us. I stole the recipe and prepared it for my family. My parents loved it! My sister Giulia a bit less because she didn't really like the taste of peppers... she still doesn't! I think peppers are ideal for the in-between-season. They are full of vitamins that could help your body adjust to the change faster. They are rich in vitan C and zinc, which are essential for a healthy immune system. Besides, I find them delicious :)
Although I used Italian risotto rice, I haven't named this recipe "Risotto ai Peperoni". The reason is that I don't prepare it as a risotto; therefore it is not creamy and doesn't contain dairies.
You will need:

1/2 chopped onion
3 peppers (no green ones; I used 1 yellow, 1 red, 1 orange)
2 finely chopped cloves of garlic
a bunch of basil (important!)
300g of Arborio risotto rice
olive oil
salt or vegetable stock powder
pepper

Wash and clean your peppers. I didn't use green ones because they are not as sweet. Cut them into bite-size pieces. In the meantime fry the chopped onion and garlic in a pan with 3/4 spoons of olive oil. When the onion has gained a translucent consistency, add the peppers and stir them on medium heat for 4/5 min.

Wash some of the basil and add it to the peppers. Season with salt or, alternatively, you can sprinkle with some organic vegetable stock powder. Kallo has a reduced sodium version, which is really good. Cover and let it cook for approx. 15 min. stirring occasionally.

While the peppers are cooking, prepare the rice. We don't usually wash rice in Italy, but in this case I would give it a quick rinse. Then boil it in plenty of hot salty water and drain it when ready. I undercook it slightly because the next step involves a bit more cooking.

Keep you rice aside and check that your peppers are cooked, but still with a bit of bite to them. If you overcook them, the skin will split from the flesh and this is not a desirable effect. Make sure that they are not too dry. While cooking them you can add some more olive oil or a bit of water and stock to keep them moist. When you open the lid, you should smell the basil quite strongly; if not, then add some more leaves. If you grow your own basil or if you live in a sunny country you won't need as much as if you bought it from a London supermarket. Transfer the rice into the peppers' pan and stir fry on medium/high heat for a few minutes, until the flavours have all been absorbed by the rice.

Check the seasoning and add some salt and pepper to taste. Serve it immediately with more fresh basil.

POMODORI AL GRATIN DELLA MAMMA (Gratin Tomatoes my Mum's Style)

My mum doesn't like cooking. She is ok at it, but she doesn't enjoy preparing difficult things. This recipe is super simple, low fat, but still very nice as a side dish. It can be eaten hot or cold, so it is ideal for a buffet style meal or a barbecue because you can prepare it in advance. It goes without saying that tomatoes in Italy taste amazing. I've never been a big fan, but I've noticed the difference since living in England. Therefore now, when I go home, I eat quite a bit. Still, you can find nice tomatoes in London, too. Especially in summer at farmers markets. For this recipe you should use perini tomatoes or San Marzano. This time I couldn't find any, so I used normal, medium sized tomatoes.

6 tomatoes
breadcrumbs (I used wholemeal)
chopped flat-leaves parsley
6 very finely chopped cloves of garlic or garlic granules
olive oil
salt
pepper

Wash and half the tomatoes. With a spoon scoop out the seeds and any hard bits. Arrange them on a grease-proof oven tray (or line with grease-proof paper otherwise). Fill each tomato with a teaspoon of chopped parsley, a pinch of chopped garlic or garlic granules, a dusting of breadcrumbs, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. You can increase or decrease the quantities according to your taste. I like them with a lot of garlic and not too much breadcrumbs.

Preheat the oven at 200C and then cook the tomatoes for approx. 30 minutes. Keep an eye on them the first time you make them; these times and temperatures work with my oven. You may need to adjust them to yours. If the tomatoes look too dry add some more olive oil and carry on cooking. Let them rest for 4/5 min. outside the oven when ready. If you try to remove them from the tray straightaway, you risk to break them and make a mess. Transfer them with the help of a spatula to a serving plate, drizzle with more olive oil and enjoy them hot or cold. I usually serve them as a starter or side dish, but they are fantastic in sandwiches, too!

Wow, this was a vegetarian post :)

This below is a picture of my Easter Paella. I didn't have much time to cook, but I wanted to prepare something nice for Easter day. It turned out well even if I didn't use my original Spanish paella (pan). The one I have is very big and serves 8... I didn't need that much!

While outside is finally nice and sunny, I'm locked in writing essays for my MA. I spent all my Easter Holidays inside reading and this weekend I've finally started writing. I'm taking a couple of days off work next week and hopefully I will finish off this titanic task...　がんばります！

I usually start at about 10:30pm and I study until 1pm. I take a break for lunch until 2pm. At 4pm I have some tea and a snack and carry on studying until approx.7:30pm. It's a long day! This is my typical set up. I must say that my chair is not very comfortable and by the end of the day I have pins and needles in my bum...